Pulmonary Function Among Latino Thoroughbred Workers – a Pilot Study

Details

• Personal Author:
  Flunker JC ; Gan W ; Mannino D ; Miller Clouser J ; Swanberg JE
• Description:
  Background/Objectives: Evidence suggests working in horse barns is associated with adverse respiratory effects among Latino thoroughbred workers, yet no studies to date have measured pulmonary function. We examined the prevalence of self-reported respiratory symptoms, abnormal pulmonary function, and associated occupational factors among Latino thoroughbred farmworkers. Methods: Participants were recruited via a community-based, purposive sampling strategy and participated in an interview-administered survey and spirometer test. 80 surveys and spirometry tests were administered by two trained health promoters (Promotoras) in July-September 2014. Pulmonary function (abnormal/normal) was classified by a pulmonologist. Demographic and occupational factors-such as years living in the US, years employed on current farm, hours of barn/dust exposure, and use of dust masks-were assessed for associations with respiratory outcomes. Results: Participants were primarily male (74%) and of Mexican nationality (76%), while 21% were current smokers, 18% were former smokers, and 61% had never smoked. On average, participants were 37 years old, had lived in the US for 17 years, and were employed for 5 years at the current horse farm. Participants reported working in a barn an average of 21 hours/week and working in dusty conditions an average of 22 hours/week. 28% of participants reported wearing a dust mask in the barn with largely infrequent usage (94%). A significant proportion of participants (79%) reported experiencing upper and/or lower respiratory symptoms in the past 12 months. The prevalence of physician or nurse diagnosed asthma was 18% and the prevalence of abnormal pulmonary function was 27%. Among those with abnormal pulmonary function, one participant showed signs of obstructive lung function, while the remainder showed signs of restrictive lung function. Multivariate logistic regression indicates that a shorter duration of horse farm employment (≤5 versus >5 years) and a shorter time living in the US (≤10 versus >10 years) increases the odds of abnormal pulmonary function. Conclusions: Latino thoroughbred workers may be at risk for adverse respiratory conditions due to chronic exposure to dusty barn environments and limited use of dust masks. Our results also indicate that recent arrival in the US was associated with decreased pulmonary function, which may be exacerbated by respiratory exposures encountered on the horse farm. This risk may be further heightened by the belief that those new to the horse farm may be placed in the least desirable and dustiest jobs. Future research will further clarify the occupational and social factors affecting the respiratory health of this worker group. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Animal Husbandry Animals Dust Farmers Livestock Lung Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Race Factors Respiratory System Safety Surveys And Questionnaires

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• Keywords:
  Animal Husbandry Chronic Exposure Dust Exposure Farm Workers Health Surveys Livestock Industry Lung Function Pulmonary Function Racial Factors Respiratory Health
• ISSN:
  2372-952X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Kentucky ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  357-358
• Volume:
  2
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053004
• Citation:
  Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis 2015 Sep; 2(4):357-358
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Kentucky
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:33a1aa777b36fba92d1e5dbd62b439b2a920745f803b47b3955eff52e90fbd764e6aaa8d2cf69b5a44f44b38bdfe6a373669b871a4e3b32d8437d54f089d3cb8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/215873/cdc_215873_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 70.92 KB ]